Eclosion
by crybabyquail
Summary: Eclosion is a written story (and potential future comic) based on my Pokemon Y version nuzlocke run.


_Recent events have led me to reconsider the way the selection process for Kalos' trainer program will operate. In the past, trainers were selected based on their applications, most notably the short answer essay questions at the end of the application sheet. Based on their answers, I would determine which aspiring trainers would operate best with each other, and, more importantly, that year's group of starter Pokemon. I would weed out clashing personalities and tend to choose trainers who matched each other in terms of personality and their starter type preference. _

_However, based on what I experienced today, I am inclined to believe that system is wrong. There is no way to predict which Pokemon suits a trainer until they meet. And when they meet, there is a fire. There is an immediate bond between them, and you can see it. I saw it today, and it was extraordinary. _

_I think that, somehow, we came to believe that it's the trainer who chooses the Pokemon. But it's not. It's always been the other way around, we just never realized._

_So, that is why I gave the Fennekin to the trainer whose application was rejected. Because when Fennekin met him, one could feel the fire. And although I was unsure about the partnership at first, I could see that Fennekin, too, had made his choice._

_~Professor Augustine Sycamore_

The envelope gave me a papercut when I opened it. That's how I knew it was bad news. I had been waiting for what seemed like ages for this letter, and it had the audacity to give me a paper cut when I opened it.

Hastily, I stuck my thumb in my mouth so I wouldn't bleed on the neat white paper. I finished opening the letter in an awkward, one-handed maneuver, my eyes flicking over the words on the page. My mother's two Glameow were weaving around my legs, purring as their spring-like tails brushed against my thighs.

My heart sank all the way to my stomach as my eyes trailed over to where my mother was sitting on the living room sofa with an eager expression. "Well? Did you get in?" her eyes were sparkling with pride, which made me feel even worse. I dropped my gaze to the red and blue rug sprawled across the hardwood floor.

"No," I sighed, handing her the printed cardstock letter. "It's a rejection letter." I ran my fingers along the edge of the envelope, the frown creasing my face like the folds in the paper. My mother crumpled up the paper and wrapped her arms around me.

"Don't sweat it! Just because you aren't in the program doesn't mean you can't be a trainer!" she reminded. I pulled away from her, and she frowned, too.

"Yeah, but this makes it a lot harder," I snapped, biting my lip ruefully. It wasn't like I didn't know that, but it wasn't the same. Getting into Sycamore's program had been my dream since before we even moved to Kalos. "I wanted a Pokedex and-" I broke off the sentence with a huff, feeling my frustration in the form of tears stinging my eyes.

"There's always next year," my mother called after me as I shuffled up the stairs, feeling the rejection like a heavy weight in my chest. I didn't want to wait until next year. I had already waited until next year for five years in a row, before we even moved from Sinnoh to Kalos. Waiting until next year might as well have been the same as waiting forever.

The next day, I was woken up by the ginger pawsteps of a Glameow on my torso. And my throat. "Daisy, get off…" I murmured, lifting up the feline Pokemon gently. I sat up and set her on my lap, running my hands over her soft ears.

"Gleow!" she said with urgency, hopping off of my pale blue bed sheets and landing on the floor in front of my wall mirror with a soft thud. "Glow!" I decided that my mother probably sent her to wake me up, so I blearily stood up and pulled on my jacket and a pair of jeans. I made my way, barefoot, down the creaky wood steps with Daisy following closely at my heels.

"Good job, Daisy!" My mother exclaimed as I got to the bottom of the stairs. She was sitting cross-legged on the couch, with a second Glameow on her lap. Her hands were tracing the short, gray-blue fur. The Glameow ran in between my legs and hopped up onto the sofa to join them.

"Hey, good morning. What's up with Ripley?" I asked, my eyes falling upon the Pokemon curled on my mother's lap. He was breathing shallowly, and I scanned him for signs of injury. Other than looking exhausted, he seemed to be fine, at least from what I could see.

"Silly thing got into a scuffle with the neighbor's Litleo last night," she responded fondly. "He's fine, he just could use a potion or two. Actually, that's why I had Daisy wake you up," she stood up, gently shifting Ripley to lay on a blanket next to the other cat Pokemon. She fished a wad of cash from her pocket and handed it to me. "Could you run to the next to the next town over and pick up a couple? Grab yourself a treat with whatever's extra!"

"Yeah! Sure, I can do that." I replied, stuffing the money into my coat pocket. "I'll go right now, before the shop gets busy." I still felt the sting of the previous day's events, and I really wasn't sure if I was actually up for this, but before I had time to think about it I was already out the door and walking down the driveway. As I shuffled down the sidewalk, I saw something white poking out of the corner of my jean pocket. _Oh geez,_ I thought as I pulled out the slip of paper. It was the letter. I'd left it in my pocket.

I read it one last time as I made my way to Aquacorde town. I barely looked up from the page as I passed under the enormous wooden gate that signified I was entering a new town. My eyes were fixed on the page, and how each word seemed to scream "screw you" louder than the last. By the time I got to the potion store, my eyes were stinging again. I stopped at a trash can, crumpling the paper in my fist.

That was when everything seemed to happen at once. At one moment, I was standing next to the trash can, ready to put the rejection letter where it belonged (other than the Distortion World, which I would have greatly preferred for it to go). The next thing that happened, however, changed everything for me. A blur of orange and yellow barrelled into my legs at full speed, tripping me and causing me to fall flat on my back. I'm not sure where the letter was when all this was happening, but I do know that when my brain finally started processing what was going around me, I was on the ground and there was a Pokemon on my chest, staring at me with round, orange eyes. All I could register were the eyes, they felt like fire boring into mine.

After that, I heard the shouting, and a flapping of paper in the wind. I felt the weight lift off my chest all at once as the Pokemon hurled itself off of me. Then a stranger's arm reached out to help me up.

"My goodness," the stranger said as he helped me to stand. "Are you alright? I'm very sorry, Fennekin never runs off like that." _Fennekin,_ I savored the name in my brain, picturing those luminescent orange eyes.

I felt as though I recalled the stranger's voice from somewhere, but I couldn't decide where. I was just about to ask, and then I saw his other hand, which was holding a wrinkled piece of paper, and then his face, which was-

_Ohhh, no._

Well, at least I knew where I recognized his voice from. Embarrassment washed over me, flushing my cheeks, only amplified when I realized what the piece of paper he was holding was.

"I'm terribly sorry," Professor Sycamore repeated, still clutching the rejection letter that he wrote. To me. My cheeks were so hot that I couldn't even speak. Even if I wanted to I probably would have just made an even bigger disaster of myself, so I just stood there with my mouth open, my brain trying to figure out what to do.

"So you're PK." He studied me thoughtfully.

"I got rejected." I replied hoarsely, feeling even worse because my throat was so dry.

"So you did." He looked so deep in thought, and he paused for what felt like an eternity of me stewing in my own nervous emotions. "Come with me," he said after several lifetimes had passed, gesturing to a table several feet away with three others, about my age, staring wide-eyed back at us.

"What about Fennekin?" I blurted, unable to erase the image of the Pokémon from my brain. "Where did it go?"

The Professor held up a Pokéball. "I returned Fennekin to its Pokéball after it jumped on you. It's a starter Pokémon, so it's going to go to one of the trainers in the program, to start their journey." My heart sank. "Come with me," he repeated, and I followed with low spirits.

We made our way over to the table, where the three others were waiting eagerly. My eyes wandered over each face, wondering which one would end up with Fennekin. The first was a short, round girl with dark skin and brown hair that was out of control frizzy. She wore a big dandelion-colored sweater and khaki pants. Her face was splashed with freckles, and her expression was curious and confused. Sitting to her right was a pointy looking boy with slick black hair. His face was twisted in and impatient sneer, and he had his arms crossed across his chest. He had on a red and black jacket and jeans.

Finally, at the head of the table, sat a tall girl with mousy brown hair that curled neatly around her shoulders. She had a knit beanie and blue cardigan, and on the table in front of her was an open briefcase with two other Pokéballs sitting inside. All eyes turned to me as I followed Professor Sycamore, my knees shuddering from the anxiety.

The Professor placed Fennekin's Pokéball next to the other two in the briefcase, my eyes trailing after it miserably. I couldn't explain how much I wanted to see Fennekin again. I couldn't understand why. All I could feel was the fire in its eyes, staring into mine.

"These three are Felicity, Keaton, and my assistant, Molly." he explained. "Have a seat, would you?" I pulled out a chair and sat down, confused thoughts cascading in my brain.

"Hi!" Felicity waved at me from across the table and I smiled back, but the smile faded when it came into contact with Keaton's cold glare.

"Felicity and Keaton passed their applications," Professor Sycamore continued on. "They are receiving their starters today. I was planning on giving the extra Pokémon to Molly, but I couldn't help but notice the connection that you and Fennekin shared just now…" I shifted in my seat anxiously, unsure of what he meant. I didn't pass my application, surely that meant I couldn't have a starter Pokémon?

He lifted an extra Pokéball out of his coat pocket. "Molly, this is for you." He handed it to the girl in the cardigan, who took it in her hands gingerly. "This trainer…..I feel as though Fennekin would be best by his side." Sycamore picked up Fennekin's Pokéball and turned to me.

"Hold on, he got rejected. Why does he get to have a Pokémon when we worked our asses off to pass the application? That's not fair." the voice was Keaton's. I could see his dark eyes darting back and forth between me and Fennekin's Pokéball. "Even if he does get a Pokémon, why should he get first pick? Fennekin was supposed to be Molly's." _He didn't want Fennekin? _I thought, trying to understand this boy's thought process. _Then why does he care?_

"How are you so sure that Fennekin would be the extra?" Sycamore challenged, although he didn't seem upset, just curious. "Perhaps you have already made your decision, but what about Felicity?"

Felicity shrugged nervously as all the eyes now turned to her. I made an observation that Molly was the only one who hadn't spoken yet, but when I glanced at her she seemed to be more interested in the Pokéball in her hands than what was going on around her.

"Well I...if Fennekin wants to be with PK and he wants to be with Fennekin, then I really don't mind…." I could tell Felicity was trying to dance around any potentially hurt feelings with her response.

"Were you planning on choosing Fennekin?" Sycamore asked gently, moving the hand which held the Pokéball away from me. I bit my lip nervously. If Felicity wanted Fennekin, there was no chance of me getting it. She had passed her application. She had priority.

"No," a wave of relief swept over me as she responded. "I just...wanted to meet them before I made a choice, yknow? I mostly just wanted a Pokémon that fits me, I guess." Felicity said earnestly.

"Then let's meet them, then! You too, Molly, meet your partner as well. I raised it just for you, in case of something like this happening." The Professor explained. I wondered how he knew this would happen.

One by one, three Pokémon materialized on the table. The first was a blue, froglike Pokémon, with a swath of bubbles lining its neck. It looked nervous, and seemed to jump at every sound. Second came was a brown rodent Pokémon who seemed to be wearing a green hood. It sat on the table, staring at everyone with big, confused eyes and yawning sleepily.

Then, there was Fennekin. My Pokémon. It was yellow all over, with a white tummy and tufts of orange fur sprouting from its ears. It sat neatly on the table, and I resisted the urge to scoop it up and run away with it. It stared at me, seeming thoughtful.

"Molly! Your Pokémon is so cute!" Felicity exclaimed. I glanced over to the quiet girl and strangely, I saw a Pokémon I recognized. She was holding a Piplup, one of the starter Pokémon back in Sinnoh. I smiled.

"That's Piplup, the Professor explained. "I got it from Professor Rowan of the Sinnoh region when we met recently. I gave him a Froakie of mine to take home as well. This is the only one in the entire Kalos region." Molly held her unique Pokémon gently, petting the feathers on the water-type's head,

"This one's mine." I turned to see Keaton holding the blue frog Pokémon in his hands. "It's the water-type, right?"

"Yes, that's Froakie. It's water-type!" The Professor said. "This particular Froakie is very timid, so it might take some work to get her out of her shell. Are you up for that, Keaton?" The boy shrugged and nodded.

I glanced at Felicity, wondering if she would rather have Fennekin. When she reached across the table, my heart skipped a beat, but much to my surprise, lifted up the brown and green Pokémon into her lap. "I want this one!"

"That's Chespin, the grass type starter," Sycamore smiled. "This one is actually quite young, so raise it carefully. I don't doubt you two will be a great match!"

Felicity grinned and gave her new partner an affectionate pat. "So that leaves PK with Fennekin, then," she said cheerfully.

"Is it...really alright for me to have this Pokémon, Professor? I mean, there's no way I deserve it...my application was rejected." I knew this wasn't my Pokémon to take, and maybe it really should have been Molly's. Fennekin was still watching me closely from its perch on the table.

"It was such a close decision. I almost accepted it, several times." He responded, his voice dropping into a hush. "The only reason I ended up rejecting it was because I wasn't sure about the way your personality would fit in with the group, but I see it now. You need to be the balance," I was a little bit unsure of what he was talking about, but I knew he was serious. "Fennekin is yours. Take this as well." He handed me a small device.

"A Pokédex? For real?" I was dumbfounded. Getting the Pokémon was one thing, but I definitely didn't deserve this. I watched in disbelief as he handed Felicity and Keaton each one of their own as well.

"Yes! It's a high-tech Pokémon encyclopedia," the Professor began explaining, though it was clear all three of us already knew. "Take it with you. It will record the data of each Pokemon you meet, which will no doubt prove useful. It has a variety of other features as well. Check them out when you have the time." I looked over to see Keaton raising his eyebrows skeptically at the peculiar piece of technology. His new Froakie was perched on his shoulder, looking dazed.

"That's all I have for now, but please come visit me in Lumiose once you get there. I'm eager to see how you and your teams come along!" Sycamore announced, and just like that I was left sitting at a cafe table with a Pokemon in my lap and invisible cartoon question marks spinning around my head. He and Molly had both vanished, presumably back to Lumiose, in the blink of an eye.

"What are you going to name your Fennekin, PK?" I felt a weight on my shoulders as Felicity wrapped her arms around me. I was grateful for her friendliness, especially when I looked over at Keaton again and he glared at me icily. "I'm calling my little Chespin baby Leafy. What about Fennekin?"

"Uhhh…" I stared down at Fennekin, who hopped down from the table to sit on my lap. "It's a fire-type, right? Maybe he should be named after something spicy." I touched the soft tufts of orange fur on his ears gently. "Tabasco?" he chirped, which I interpreted as approval of my choice.

"CUTE! Spicy boy!" Felicity whipped around to face Keaton, who was studying Froakie intently. "What about Froakie? What are you going to nickname her?" Keaton snorted.

"She's fine just being Froakie, I'm sure." he replied hotly, pulling out Froakie's Pokeball and returning her to it. He stood up, eyeing Tabasco with a scowl. "Santalune City is this way, right? I'm going there." he started walking off.

Felicity frowned. "I guess I'm going that way, too. You can tag along with me and Leafy, if you want," she offered. Leafy clung to her sweater sleeve, chirping.

"That's super nice of you," I responded, lifting up Tabasco in my arms. He curled his tail around my elbows, resting his chin on my shoulder. "But I really need to head back to Vaniville and run all this by my mom. After all, I was just here to get some extra potions for our pet Pokemon. She'll be wondering what happened, so you should go on ahead." I stuck my hand in my pockets, feeling around for the money. "Oh, no…"

"What?" Felicity's eyes were wide.

"I dropped the money my mom gave me to get the potions."

"Here, take mine! I have plenty!" she rummaged around in her bag and pulled out two purple flasks. She handed them to me, struggling to hold them both in one small hand.

"Thanks, Felicity!" I exclaimed gratefully, tucking them carefully into the small bag I had crumpled in my pocket. "So...I'll see you in Santalune, then? Assuming you're doing the gym challenge…"

"Oh, I'm not actually doing any of that fancy league stuff. I'm mostly in this to make friends and new experiences, and to help out the Professor. But I'll stick around in Santalune for a while, because I want to watch you and Keaton battle Viola. Then we can all walk to Lumiose together!" Felicity explained, and suddenly I felt really excited to go on this journey together.

"Go on, then, I'll catch up!" I called as I sprinted back towards the giant gate that went back to Route 1 and in turn, back home. "Come on, Tabasco!"


End file.
